Stephon Castle scored 32 points as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Golden State Warriors 123–85 on Friday, November 13, extending their winning streak to 11 games. San Antonio took control early at Frost Bank Center and never allowed the NBA Cup contest to become a close finish.
Victor Wembanyama added 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Spurs. Golden State, playing without Stephen Curry, finished with a 38-point defeat and a result that was effectively settled well before the final quarter.
Spurs vs Warriors: The Result
| Detail | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Competition | NBA Cup group play |
| Venue | Frost Bank Center, San Antonio |
| Final score | San Antonio 123–85 Golden State |
| Half-time | San Antonio 63–33 Golden State |
| Leading scorer | Stephon Castle, 32 points |
| Spurs’ winning streak | 11 games |
The victory moved San Antonio to 11–2 for the season, while Golden State fell to 8–5. Those records put the result in perspective: the Warriors arrived with a winning record, but the evening developed into a comfortable home victory rather than a contest between evenly matched attacks.
San Antonio also remained unbeaten in NBA Cup play. That is a separate achievement from the overall winning streak, even though Friday’s game contributed to both. The result strengthened the Spurs’ start without settling the competition’s later stages.
A First Quarter That Set the Direction
San Antonio led 38–14 after the opening period. Golden State made only five of its 25 shots in that quarter, leaving the visitors with a substantial deficit before the game had reached its first break.
That opening made every subsequent period more demanding for the Warriors. Matching San Antonio from that point would have preserved the gap; recovering required them to outperform the home side by a large margin over the remaining minutes.
Instead, the Spurs added to their advantage. They won the second quarter 25–19 and reached half-time 30 points ahead. Golden State had not only missed the opportunity to reduce the early damage; the task had become larger.
The pattern is useful when reading the final score. This was not a competitive game transformed by one late scoring burst. San Antonio established its position immediately, extended it before half-time and kept control after the interval.
Castle Supplies the Scoring
Castle made 12 of his 18 field-goal attempts, including five of eight from three-point range, and converted all three free throws. He also contributed five rebounds and six assists in just over 25 minutes.
His shooting provided San Antonio with points from different areas. The five three-pointers accounted for 15 of his 32 points, while the rest came through two-point baskets and free throws. Golden State therefore faced more than one route to stopping his scoring.
The minutes are another part of the story. Castle reached his total without needing a full night’s workload, reflecting how quickly the Spurs had created separation. It would be misleading to project that rate over a longer game, but the production he actually delivered was substantial.
Wembanyama’s Double-Double Adds Support
Wembanyama’s 12 points and 12 rebounds gave San Antonio another productive contribution. He played 21 minutes, with the size of the lead allowing the Spurs to rest their starters throughout the fourth quarter.
This was an evening when he did not need to lead the scoring for his team to dominate. Castle supplied the largest individual total, while San Antonio’s broader advantage meant the game did not depend on a late intervention from its centre.
The Spurs outscored Golden State 34–27 in the third quarter, taking a 97–60 lead into the last period. By then, the main competitive question had been answered. The fourth quarter changed the final totals but did not alter the direction of the result.
Golden State Struggle Without Curry
Curry was unavailable after suffering a right oblique injury in Golden State’s previous game at Houston. His absence formed an important part of the Warriors’ circumstances, although it does not explain every possession or diminish the scoring San Antonio produced.
L.J. Cryer led Golden State with 20 points, and Charles Bassey added 11. They were the team’s only players to reach double figures. The Warriors needed a much broader scoring response once the opening quarter had left them chasing the game.
What the Win Means
For San Antonio, the immediate achievement is clear: another victory, an 11-game winning run and continued success in the NBA Cup group phase. A single emphatic result does not guarantee a title, but it adds to a sustained sequence rather than standing alone.
For readers following the wider international sports programme, GDU also covered England’s wheelchair rugby league world-title defence and a recent weekend roundup. Those are separate competitions; Friday’s NBA result belongs to the early part of a long basketball season.
The decisive details in San Antonio were straightforward: a 24-point first-quarter lead, Castle’s efficient 32-point performance and a margin that kept the closing stages comfortable. The Spurs leave this fixture with their momentum intact, while Golden State must respond after a difficult night without its leading star.
